F-18E Crash - Pilot Safe

[ORAC]

USS Carl Vinson Pilot Ejects Safely at Sea (http://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=100031)

USS CARL VINSON (NNS) -- A pilot safely ejected and was quickly recovered by a helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 4 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) while conducting routine flight operations during a transit in the Celebes Sea.

The incident occurred as the F/A-18E assigned to Carrier Air Wing 2 was on final approach to Carl Vinson.

The incident is currently under investigation. The pilot is being assessed by the medical team aboard Carl Vinson and there are no apparent injuries at this time.

[Just This Once...]

Another reminder of where Carl Vinson isn't.

[tartare]

...so what happens when someone splashes a jet?
I assume the carrier has no way of retrieving one very soggy Hornet.
Do they GPS the location of the wreck and another vessel tries to raise it?
Depends on location/depth i `spose.
And if there was anything `sensitive' on board.
Given the part of the world they're at the moment, one assumes they wouldn't want to leave a state of the art wrecked SHornet in the briny...

[SpazSinbad]

A few hiccups when gargling this string for Davy Jones Locker: USN F/A-18 Hornet Aircraft Ocean Salvage

[Pontius Navigator]

Maybe they will, maybe they wont

[A_Van]

...
Given the part of the world they're at the moment, one assumes they wouldn't want to leave a state of the art wrecked SHornet in the briny...

It's easy now. Modern UUVs can operate at depths of Mariana Trench delivering a few kilos of TNT and precisely attaching such "payloads" to the right part(s) of the plane and ... here you are.

[Fonsini]

I'm happy the pilot is safe - any word on the cause ?

[Octane]

Engine failure/s on approach?